Herald DigiPoll: Boag not loved by all

National Party president Michelle Boag is turning off one in four National Party voters, according to this week's Herald-DigiPoll survey.

The survey found 23.7 per cent of new and old National voters were less likely to vote for National because of Ms Boag. On the plus side, the work of the high-profile president and public relations expert has made 18.8 per cent of National voters more likely to back the party.

Ms Boag will be endorsed as National's president at this weekend's party conference in Wellington, despite internal rumblings that National has failed to fly under her stewardship. She has the nominations of all five regional divisions of the party.

Her uncompromising drive to "rejuvenate" the party and clear away "deadwood", forcing out long-serving MPs, has raised internal tensions and whittled away the overwhelming support she enjoyed when she ousted John Slater in a bitter contest a year ago.

Since promising a "winning formula" and a policy blitz stating "clearly and absolutely" what the party stands for, National has fallen from 35 per cent to 24.6 per cent in Herald-DigiPoll surveys.

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